This trio of books was recommended to me by a mate in the U.K
I have just finished the first - the Sky's dark Labyrinth, and am half way through the second 'The Sensorium Of God". The third 'The Day without Yesterday" sits on my shelf.
Each novel takes place in a dramatically re-imagined time, taking historical facts and weaving an absorbing story of intrigue, science and religion into the narrative.
Book one is the story Of Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei and the search to explain the orbits of the Planets against the current religious thinking of the time and the orthodoxy of established ideas. Tycho Brae is also featured as a master recorder of visual astronomy whose data Kepler uses to prove his theories.
There are back drops of religious war, famine, plague and the Inquisition.
Book two is set in England at the time of Newton and Sir Robert Hooke and Sir Edmond Halley and is the often childish intellectual battles fought for supremacy of "the natural philosophy" of ideas re. gravity, leading to Newton's monumental works. The poverty of London and rebuilding following the great fire sets the back ground as does the paranoia of Catholic plots and Royal intrigues. These books are fictionalised accounts of real Astronomical milestones.
I will review number three when I read it but so far -highly recommended.
If you appreciate a good historical yarn with a strongly scientifically biased edge then get them soon!
Cheers
Graham
Excellent, must put them on the 'I want' list. I love complex historical near reality fiction stories with overtones of science, religion and politics.
Good review, thanks for the heads up
Well, read book 1 & 2 now and part way into 3.
Excellent reading and according to reviews closer to the truth than it's 'fiction' category rating.
Yes, there is a lot of character story given and some timelines have been adjusted for a better story and there are a few fictional characters to fill out background events but as one reviewer says it gives history some meaning to almost read it from a personal viewpoint of the main real life characters of Kepler and the rest. It's primary premise is around the political, religous and personal conflicts involved with the ascendancy of science and measurement over early thought.
Very good ideed.
Thanks for the heads up on these. Worth re-reading IMHO.
